The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Dismember \Dis*mem"ber\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dismembered; p.
   pr. & vb. n. Dismembering.] [OF. desmembrer, F.
   d['e]membrer; pref. des- (L. dis) + OF. & F. membre limb. See
   Member.]
   1. To tear limb from limb; to dilacerate; to disjoin member
      from member; to tear or cut in pieces; to break up.
      [1913 Webster]

            Fowls obscene dismembered his remains. --Pope.
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            A society lacerated and dismembered.  --Gladstone.
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            By whose hands the blow should be struck which would
            dismember that once mighty empire.    --Buckle.
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   2. To deprive of membership. [Obs.]
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            They were dismembered by vote of the house. --R.
                                                  North.

   Syn: To disjoint; dislocate; dilacerate; mutilate; divide;
        sever.
        [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

dismember
    v 1: separate the limbs from the body; "the tiger dismembered
         the tourist"
    2: divide into pieces; "our department was dismembered when our
       funding dried up"; "The Empire was discerped after the war"
       [syn: dismember, take apart, discerp]